


sciomania

by nixneptune



Series: manias short stories [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Horror, Horror Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:56:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29900742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nixneptune/pseuds/nixneptune
Summary: sciomania: obsession with shadowssecond work of the manias short stories!
Series: manias short stories [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2198556





	sciomania

The light across the hall flickered again.  
He kept his eyes darting around the room, peeled for any sort of unwarranted activity, but much to his dismay, it was nothing but pitch black. There were barely even outlines of shapes, and he couldn’t even see his nightstand a few feet away from him. His breath shallowed and his feet shook uneasily against the mattress, but other than that he lay frozen, stiff as a board.

There was nothing he could see. No figures, no shadowy forms like he feared would come after him in the night. But that didn’t mean they weren’t there. He knew they hid in the shadows, lurking in closets and plastered under beds. It frustrated him to see they weren’t in his plain sight, despite them being able to hide anywhere effortlessly.

He almost wished a shadowy hand would reach up from under the bed, just to put his mind at ease. A shadowy figure standing in the corner, or the form of a disfigured creature perched on the other bed. He didn’t know what he would do then, but at least he would know they were there, and not watching him in secret.

“Are you okay? You've been awake for a while,” his brother whispered from the other bed.

He was so occupied with surveying the room that he didn’t know how to respond.  
“Y-yes, I’m fine. I’m just afraid of the dark, that’s all,” he stammered.

“I know you are. There’s nothing here that can hurt you, I promise. Just know I’m here.”

His brother’s words hung in the air, slowly drifting away into the night. They almost made him feel better, slowing his racing heartbeat and allowing his fingers to stop trembling. He fiddled with the edge of his blankets, his eyes getting back to the constant and anxious habit of travelling around the room. At last, he narrowed his eyes at the ceiling, but then made a quick glance to his lamp on the right. _A simple light would make me see them, or make them even go away._ He chuckled slightly. He didn’t bother to think about that before. Keeping watch on the doorway, he slowly reached across his bed, hoping the rustling sheets wouldn’t awaken the possible entity blending itself in with the darkness. The lamp flicked on. Golden light filled the room, leaving only the closet and hallway ahead to have those suspicious shadows.

He took one last look around his room, putting his nerves to rest. There were no shadows waiting for him. It was just as his brother said: there was nothing in here that could hurt him.  
Remembering his brother’s words, he made sure to check the other bed next to him. It too remained like the room: empty, as it always had been.

**Author's Note:**

> another older one, but i still love its vibes. 
> 
> rip to anyone who read this at night


End file.
